An Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right AWS Managed Hosting Partner 2024

Selecting the ideal AWS Managed Services Partner isn’t merely a decision—it’s an investment in your operational future!

In recent years, businesses have been reshaping their operational frameworks by embracing cloud-native architectures. Many assert that the path to successful digital transformation inevitably leads through the cloud. However, this journey presents its array of challenges. From intricate migrations and complex deployments to ensuring robust security, compliance, and cost-efficiency, organizations face critical decisions that can significantly impact their cloud endeavors.

As public cloud adoption continues to surge, major providers like AWS have cultivated extensive partner ecosystems aimed at simplifying these transformational challenges. Enter the AWS Managed Hosting Partner: a crucial ally in this high-stakes landscape. These specialized partners not only bring deep expertise but also offer innovative solutions and a proven record of navigating the complexities inherent in managing an AWS environment.

In this blog, we delve into the pivotal role played by an AWS Managed Hosting Partner. We explore how choosing the right partner—one with seasoned expertise and tailored solutions—can unlock the full potential of AWS services. Join us as we discuss key considerations and best practices essential for selecting the ideal hosting partner to propel your cloud journey forward.

Benefits of using an AWS Managed Hosting Partner

Using an AWS Managed Hosting Partner offers several benefits:

• Expertise and Support: Access to specialized expertise and support from certified professionals skilled in AWS environments.
• Cost Efficiency: Optimized costs through efficient resource management and scaling, reducing operational expenses.
• Reliability and Security: Enhanced reliability and security with robust infrastructure and compliance adherence managed by experts.
• Scalability: Seamless scalability to accommodate business growth and fluctuating demands without infrastructure management concerns.
• Focus on Core Business: Allows businesses to focus on core objectives and innovation, leveraging managed services for day-to-day operations.
• Continuous Optimization: Proactive monitoring, performance optimization, and updates to ensure AWS resources operate at peak efficiency.
• Customized Solutions: Tailored solutions and strategies aligned with business goals, enhancing agility and competitiveness in the market.

How to choose the right AWS Managed Hosting Partner for your business (2024)?

• Expertise and Certifications: Evaluate AWS managed hosting partners based on their AWS certifications, which validate proficiency in architecting, developing, and operating applications on AWS. Certifications such as AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Operations – Specialty, AWS Certified Security – Specialty, and AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty demonstrate expertise and commitment to ongoing learning.
• Industry Experience: Assess the partner’s experience in managing AWS workloads across diverse industries and use cases. Look for a partner with a proven track record in handling complex migrations, deployments, and optimizations, as they can offer valuable insights and tailored best practices.
• Service Offerings: Scrutinize the breadth and depth of the partner’s AWS managed services portfolio. A comprehensive range of services indicates the partner’s capability to meet specific business needs, including but not limited to migration strategies, deployment models, security implementations, and ongoing optimization.

Key services to take into account include:

• Cloud Migration Strategy: Transitioning to the AWS cloud requires a well-planned AWS Cloud Strategy for migration. Evaluate the partner’s methods, tools, and track record in successfully migrating complex workloads with minimal disruption. This includes reviewing their expertise in utilizing services like AWS Application Migration Service and CloudEndure, along with their adherence to migration best practices. Also, look into how they automate AWS migrations through practices such as automated testing and deployment pipelines to streamline operations and minimize errors during migration.

• Infrastructure Provisioning and Management: Ensuring automated infrastructure provisioning and management is crucial for enhancing scalability and agility. Evaluate the AWS partner’s ability to utilize AWS tools such as CloudFormation, Elastic Beanstalk, and Terraform for deploying infrastructure through code (IaC). Additionally, assess their proficiency in managing critical services like EC2, VPC, and ELB to support seamless operational efficiency and growth.

• Application Modernization: As companies migrate to the cloud, updating their applications to utilize cloud-native architectures and services becomes crucial. When choosing a partner, assess their proficiency in modernizing applications through refactoring and containerization. Look into their use of AWS services such as ECS, EKS, and Lambda for serverless computing. Additionally, evaluate their experience with microservices architectures and their adoption of DevOps practices to ensure they can effectively support your modernization goals.

• Monitoring and Observability: Monitoring and observability are essential for keeping applications running smoothly, pinpointing performance issues, and meeting compliance standards. Evaluate your partner’s monitoring solutions, including their integration capabilities with AWS services such as CloudWatch, X-Ray, and Managed Prometheus. Additionally, assess their expertise in setting up centralized logging and tracing using tools like CloudTrail and AWS FireLens to ensure comprehensive visibility into your system’s performance and security posture. This ensures proactive management and quick resolution of any issues that may arise.

• Security and Compliance: Cloud security services and compliance are top priorities for businesses, requiring adherence to industry regulations and best practices. Finding a cloud partner for enhanced security on AWS involves careful evaluation of their expertise in implementing robust security measures and compliance standards tailored to your business needs. When choosing an AWS partner, assess their security solutions, expertise in implementing AWS security services, and ability to support compliance certifications such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2.
• In addition to global compliance standards, consider the partner’s understanding of local compliance requirements and data residency needs. This is crucial for businesses in regulated industries or with specific geographic data storage mandates, ensuring that their cloud environments meet all necessary legal and operational standards.

• Cost Optimization (AWS): AWS operates on a pay-as-you-go model, offering flexibility but also cost challenges. A capable AWS Managed Hosting Partner should assist in optimizing expenses using tools like AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, and third-party solutions for effective cost monitoring and management. They should identify underutilized resources and recommend strategies like rightsizing instances, reserved instances, or savings plans to lower costs. Look for partners skilled in advanced FinOps techniques, such as automated cost anomaly detection and predictive analytics, ensuring proactive financial oversight.

In addition to selecting an AWS Managed Services Partner for cost optimization, prioritize AWS partners who provide transparent billing and regular, detailed cost reports to prevent unforeseen expenses. This transparency helps maintain budget control and supports informed decision-making in managing AWS expenditures.

• Backup and Disaster Recovery: Every business should anticipate unforeseen disruptions that may impact operations. When selecting an AWS hosting partner, it’s essential to consider their proficiency in deploying AWS disaster recovery solutions such as AWS Backup, Amazon EFS Backups, and Amazon FSx Backups. Additionally, evaluate their capability in designing and testing failover scenarios using services like Route53 and AWS CloudEndure. These measures ensure robust continuity planning and readiness to swiftly recover from potential business interruptions.

Assessing Partner’s Support & Delivery Models

Besides assessing technical expertise and services, evaluating the support and delivery models of an AWS hosting partner is crucial for establishing a smooth and collaborative working relationship.

• Support Capabilities: Evaluate the AWS hosting partner based on their response times, escalation procedures, and the availability of dedicated support teams or account managers. A partner with a robust support infrastructure will ensure timely assistance and minimal downtime during critical incidents.

• Delivery Models: Assess the AWS hosting partner’s approach—whether on-site, remote, or hybrid—to ensure it aligns with your specific business needs and organizational culture. Look for partners who offer flexible engagement models, from project-based collaborations to comprehensive managed services. This ensures that their service delivery matches your operational preferences and supports your business goals effectively.

• Transparency and Reporting: Building trust and fostering seamless collaboration with an AWS hosting partner relies on effective communication and transparency. It’s crucial to evaluate their reporting mechanisms, which should include real-time dashboards, regular status updates, and comprehensive documentation. These tools enable clear visibility into project progress, issues, and performance metrics, ensuring alignment with expectations and proactive management of any challenges that may arise.

• Training and Knowledge Transfer: An effective AWS Managed Hosting Partner goes beyond providing managed services; they also prioritize knowledge transfer and upskilling within your organization. Evaluate the partner’s training programs, which should include hands-on workshops, comprehensive documentation, and regular knowledge-sharing sessions. These initiatives ensure that your team gains the skills and insights needed to manage and optimize the AWS environment effectively over the long term.

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): When reviewing the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with an AWS hosting partner, ensure it includes specific metrics for uptime, response times, and issue resolution. Look for an SLA that guarantees at least 99% uptime, indicating reliability and minimal service disruptions. Additionally, having a dedicated account manager can significantly enhance support by addressing concerns promptly and ensuring ongoing needs are consistently met. This personal point of contact strengthens communication and accountability between your organization and the hosting partner.

• Customer Success and References: This repository offers valuable insights into the reliability and effectiveness of the AWS hosting partner. Look for detailed testimonials and reviews from clients, particularly those in similar industries or with comparable needs to yours. Analyze case studies to gain a deeper understanding of how the partner has successfully delivered AWS managed services in real-world situations. This information provides concrete evidence of their capabilities and helps assess their suitability for meeting your specific business requirements.

• Partnerships and Ecosystem: When evaluating an AWS hosting partner, consider their relationships and integrations with other technology providers, their active involvement in the AWS Partner Network (APN), and their participation in AWS events and communities. Partners deeply embedded in the AWS ecosystem can offer access to a wider array of solutions and resources. This indicates their commitment to staying updated with AWS advancements and their ability to leverage these connections to enhance service delivery and support for your organization.

LYSA: Your Trusted AWS Managed Services Partner

Proven Expertise and Partnership

• Trusted AWS Consulting Partner in the AWS Partner Network (APN)
• Extensive track record delivering exceptional AWS cloud solutions

Comprehensive Managed Services

• Team of certified AWS experts dedicated to client success
• Tailored AWS managed services for diverse industry needs

End-to-End Solutions for Digital Transformation

• Seamless cloud migration services and infrastructure provisioning
• Expertise in application modernization and cost optimization

Recognized AWS Expertise

• Hold prestigious certifications: AWS Well-Architected Partner, Migration Competency, and Security Competency
• Demonstrated capability in delivering robust AWS solutions

Global Support and Optimization

• Full suite of AWS cloud services for optimized solutions
• 24/7 global support ensuring continuous management and support

Future-Proof Your Cloud Journey using Ideal AWS Cloud Strategy with LYSA. Reach out to our representative or visit our website for more information.

FAQs

What are the 5 pillars of AWS?

• Operational Excellence: Focuses on operational practices that enable continuous improvement of systems and processes.
• Security: Emphasizes the protection of data, systems, and assets through effective security practices and controls.
• Reliability: Aims to ensure systems recover from failures and continue to function correctly, even during disruptions.
• Performance Efficiency: Focuses on using resources efficiently and maintaining performance as demand changes.
• Cost Optimization: Involves avoiding unnecessary costs and optimizing spending to maximize the value delivered to stakeholders.

Who is an AWS MSP partner?

An AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) Partner is certified by Amazon Web Services to provide specialized knowledge in managing cloud infrastructure, enhancing security, ensuring compliance, and optimizing costs, thereby maximizing the benefits of AWS services.

How to choose a managed cloud service provider?

When selecting a managed cloud service provider, evaluate their proficiency with certifications, industry experience, and range of managed services such as migration, infrastructure management, security, and cost optimization. Consider their support structures, transparency, and partnerships within the ecosystem. It’s crucial to choose a provider that aligns with your unique business requirements and future cloud strategy.